Porsche to rename Boxster/Cayman to 718

[JayG]

Porsche confirm name change for Boxster/Cayman - Pomopar

[thstone]

Its about time! What other car company has different names for coupe and convertible versions of the same car? Plus, I've always hated the cutsie "Boxster" name.

Mine will forever be a 986; (or at least it was until it was totaled and that 986 badge ended up near the 3rd tail light)

[flouese]

Will this change be retroactive or will my 1999 still be referred to as a 986?

[VGM911]

Originally Posted by flouese

Will this change be retroactive or will my 1999 still be referred to as a 986?

Your 1999 will remain a "Boxster" first and foremost. It will also remain a 986...the 718 designation won't be applied retroactively to older cars.

[tomonomics]

There will still be Boxster and Cayman names to signify the body style.

So, just like there is: 911 Carrera and 911 Targa and 911 Carrera 4 GTS...

...there will be: 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster GTS

Personally, I hope this opens up the door for a mid-engine platform that will slot alongside (above!) the 911. The oft-rumored Ferrari fighter, aka baby 918, aka Cayman GT4 on steroids.

[GaryMulcahey]

Porsche 718 - Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

Going to be flat four turbos.

[j.fro]

I'm looking forward to seeing someone transplant the turbo 4 into a Beck Spyder or that 904 replica.

[BRAN]

I told you our 986 BOXSTERS will be special...
Boxster is in my opinion the best name ever created, so...so logical and still packed with emotions.

Well, my Boxster will be my last Boxster I guess. New 718 Boxster/Cayman = 4-cylinders ONLY, nein Danke!

Before going there, I become friends with the new Porsche mission e...looks cool

sound..., who said sounds cool?

[Perfectlap]

I would have been impressed if they simply called it what it really is... a modern re-incarnation of the 550 roadster. And called the Cayman the 550 Coupe.

This business about giving cars "names" is very dumb. Belts and suspenders...Perhaps for a truly limited edition variant it would make sense.
The other German car brands have wisely stayed away from this marketing nonsense.

[BIGJake111]

Marketing is calling it the 718 so they can bag on heritage for the 4cylinder

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by BIGJake111

Marketing is calling it the 718 so they can bag on heritage for the 4cylinder

more like a head fake. "no we're not selling you a fancied up Jetta engine for $70K at all, we're selling you racing history!".
So can I go "racing" with this new turbo 4 at my local track and still keep my warranty?
Auf keinen Fall!!!
:chicken:

[BIGJake111]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

more like a head fake. "no we're not selling you a fancied up Jetta engine for $70K at all, we're selling you racing history!".
So can I go "racing" with this new turbo 4 at my local track and still keep my warranty?
Auf keinen Fall!!!
:chicken:

The press release said that the 718 used to set track records and the new 718 boxster Cayman will too.

Marketing mumbo jumbo, or maybe the higher torque and lighter weight will actually make the new cars damn quick (at the expensive of purity)

[BRAN]

well, it is obvious where they are going...flat 4 to lower entry class level.
I could imagine 40.990 € starting price to reach a new target group.

And create special editions at model life cycle end...with an "exclusive" overpriced strangled flat 6....whoopideedoo.

I am not impressed, at all.

[crooster]

I really wish I could afford to snag a 981 Spyder before they disappear!

[VGM911]

My BMW 228i has a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with 240 hp....and it's rated at 0-60 in 5 seconds.

I had reservations about BMW's decision to begin utilizing a 4-cylinder in place of their 6-cylinder engine, which was devine, in my opinion (good horsepower, good torque, and oh so smooth). However, my experience with the 228 has been more than satisfactory and has restored my faith in BMW's decision makers.

I wouldn't expect anything less from Porsche's decision makers, so rather than panic now, let's wait until the new Boxster/Cayman cars are introduced and tested by the car magazines.

[Pominoz]

Originally Posted by JayG

Porsche confirm name change for Boxster/Cayman - Pomopar

I'm not at all keen on the 4 cylinder part, but if it does look anything like this..

http://images.car.bauercdn.com/upload/32737/images/porsche718scoopphoto01.jpg

[10/10ths]

....This move has NOTHING to do with building a "lower cost" car.

It actually costs MORE money to build the 4 cylinder turbo engine.

The reason they are doing this is the same reason the 911 is going turbo and the BMW's are turbo and Honda is now selling small turbo fours---EPA and CAFE.

All the auto manufacturers MUST reduce Co2, NoX, and particulate emissions by a huge amount.

Also, all Corporate Average Fleets MUST be 54.5 MPG by 2025 in the USA.

It's the law.

The car companies have to build these drivetrains.

The days of big, naturally aspirated engines are numbered.

Look at Ferrari, the new 488 is turbo. Look at McLaren. Same.

They aren't building them because they think it's what people want. It's like EVs, they HAVE to build them.

Now, the one GOOD thing about this, is that a turbo engine makes a LOT of torque and you can just "crank up the boost" as a tuner for more performance. To a point..

So, don't blame Porsche. Vote early and vote often.

Anyhow, the 2.0 Turbo Hybrid 919 made 1,000 Horsepower this year, won LeMans, and won the WEC Constructor's World Championship. So.......

Now, having said all that, I LOVE big natural aspirated engines. When I wanted to buy a Porsche, I chose my 2004 Boxster S 50 Years of 550 Spyder specifically because it was "old school", with a 3.2 L NA engine, and no electronic feldercarb.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by 10/10ths

....This move has NOTHING to do with building a "lower cost" car.

It actually costs MORE money to build the 4 cylinder turbo engine.

The reason they are doing this is the same reason the 911 is going turbo and the BMW's are turbo and Honda is now selling small turbo fours---EPA and CAFE.

All the auto manufacturers MUST reduce Co2, NoX, and particulate emissions by a huge amount.

Also, all Corporate Average Fleets MUST be 54.5 MPG by 2025 in the USA.

It's the law.

It's the law but in practical application the penalties for falling short of the fleet average, which is not an issue for Porsche, are a literal pittance relative to Porsche's revenue and earnings. Perhaps for a struggling boutique car company this might be an issue, MAYBE. But for Porsche, strong dollar and import taxes in other markets are a far bigger consideration. IMHO, CAFE as the thrust behind moving to fancied up Jetta Turbo's is grossly overstated when you look at Porsche's numbers which continue to climb to historic levels. And the few sports cars that Porsche still make will eventually account for a very small part of their production, to the point that Porsche will be a luxury brand first that happen to make a few sports cars. Porsche could use the turbo 4's on their mainstays, the Cayenne, Cayene mini, and Pana and leave the already very fuel economical flat 6's to the two seaters and simply pay the minuscule penalties for falling a few ticks short of fleet average. Heck I wouldn't be surprised if they would make MORE money in the end by up-selling the flat 6 at a bigger margin over the turbo 4 to the purists and simply factor in the CAFE penalty as a cost of capturing that additional business. Purists are willing to pay the added margin, especially when you pair the NA engine with a strip down performance oriented offering. The Cayman GT4 sold out just like the GT3's.

The real rationale, imho, for the Turbo 4 is to lower their in-warranty liabilities while sustaining this relentless power increase of the last 15-20 years.
Look at how much power an M3 for instance had in 1999 (240 HP?) compared to what is expected for a performance label these days. Expectations keep going north with price tags. hard to do one without the other. Continuing to make that kind of power in an also bullet proof NA engine is a serious challenge in the mass production era of 200K Porsches a year. Going with the Jetta 4 Turbo is simply easier and more profitable in aggregate once all in-warranty costs are deducted. And really, I don't think 9 in 10 Porsche buyers care one way or the other so all the easier for Porsche to go the easy way out. And Just look at the 991 GT3 flambe engine debacle. Total recall. You can't have your German Chocolate cake and eat it too if you want to bring home the big profits.

Believe it our not our 986/987 cars will be special in the end. A thoroughly modern Porsche (no new oil leak of the day in your drive way), without electric steering nor Jetta turbos, superb handling and feedback... all at relatively low running costs (for a Porsche). None of the really bad of an old Porsche and none of the bad of all the new ones.

[BIGJake111]

If CAFE would restrict the 500 ancient tahoes and exploders to one Porsche I see they would be far more efficient.

The EPA and overbearing regulations are bull crap, let the consumer decide to support a green company or not.

[Porsche9]

Don't like the 4 cylinder just keep what you got and rebuild it when the time comes. If you like big NA engines then you can increase the size of your engine at the time of rebuild.

As much as I like NA engines they eventually will go away as they pollute too much. The last week the air here in Phoenix has been crap (we get a inversion layer that holds the pollution down) and my lungs can feel it plus the CO2 isn't doing the world any good. One day the turbo charged engine will go away too replaced by a electric motor. Enjoy it while it lasts.